I'm So Happy
by Kyios
Summary: "It's me. I love you." She gets to say goodbye. MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH. UPDATED: Due to demand, a second chapter.
1. Chapter 1

The barrel of the gun wasn't that cold. The hundred different times she had imagined this scenario, she had thought the metal would be cold, ice against her skin. Now, actually feeling it, she didn't quite understand why she had thought that; common misconception she guessed. But of course it was warm, it had been in his waistband for hours, hidden just out of her sight, it was barely colder than her skin. She didn't cry. She couldn't, there had to still be a way out. She looked around as quickly as her blue eyes could process the scene before her. No weapons in reach, no time for that anyway, and he was blocking the only escape route. She could try and disarm him, her arms were free, but was she faster than his trigger finger? She tightened her jaw and took a steady breath. She had to focus.

"I'm going to do you a favor, lil' missy." He pressed the gun harder. She fought the urge to wince. "I'm gonna let you say your goodbyes."

She heard a rustling as he pulled something from his pocket. This was her chance! She threw her head back into his gun hand. She turned to rise and met the bite of a swung pistol.

"Now, it's an attitude like that," He threaded his hand through her hair and pulled, whispering in her ear, "that gets you into messes like this. If you would just listen, once in a god damned while, maybe you'd be home in that pretty little house of yours."

He dug a knee into her back as he pulled the slide back on the gun. She struggled until she felt the gun back at her neck. The man pulled her to her knees. Something clattered to the ground in front of her.

"Pick it up, and remember who's got the gun here." She picked up a cell phone. It was an old one, flip screen, buttons and all. She closed her eyes.

"Now, I was going to be nice and give you a few calls, your Daddy, your _bestie_" he sneered, "a few old contacts. Hell, you could of called the cops, wouldn't have changed anything. But now, now you get one call, Nancy Drew."

She swallowed, trying desperately not to shake.

"Who's it going to be?"

Her fingers dialed with out looking. The number had been etched in her memory for years, since the day they'd met. How many times had she dialed this number, from how many different countries? How many times had just the sound of his voice been enough to get her through a case? What was she going to say now? He'd have to tell everyone, her father, Hannah, Bess and George...She took a harsh shaky breath as she hit send. She locked her eyes on the wall, steadying her breathing. One ring. She forced herself to ignore the feeling of metal and her heart racing. Two rings. She wet her lips and swallowed hard. Three rings and a click.

"Sorry, I missed you, leave a message and I'll get right back to you." So like him, straight to the point, so matter-of-fact. She closed her eyes and heard the beep.

"It's me. I love you. I always have. Tell Dad, tell everyone; 'I'm sorry.' We always knew this might happen. We've talked about it. I never left a case, I couldn't, even when I knew it could get dangerous. You have to understand; I know you will, in time. You'll catch him, I left all of the evidence in my room." Her voice started to waver, "Since the second we met I knew it would come to this. This goodbye, the one I would want a chance to say. I knew how ever I died, it would be with the thought of you. It's so stupid, so much wasted time. I know it was never easy, things went unsaid, too much time was spent apart. But, it was worth it, what ever we had, it was worth everything. I'm so sorry, I know you'll carry this with you. Carry it as a light? Don't let me darken your world, please. Please remember the adventures and the late night or early morning calls and those rare moments we were with each other. Be happy you knew me? I'm so happy I knew you. Remember that. I love you and I'm so happy I-"

The phone clattered to the ground.

* * *

He heard the ringing from the other room as he pulled on a t-shirt and toweled his hair. 'One Missed Call'. He sat on the edge of his bed. A second notification, 'One New Voicemail'. He slid his finger deftly across the screen. 505-555-7942. He didn't get unknown numbers, not on this phone. He pressed play.

"It's me. I love you. I always have..." No, no not her. Not this. This call he'd thought he'd be making.

"...understand; I know you will..." She was right, he did. Of course, he did. This was inevitable. It should be him.

"...catch him..." He nodded. What ever it took.

"...things went unsaid..." Everything went unsaid. There was always next time. It was so stupid.

"...it was worth everything..." It was. Every second

"...don't let me darken your world..." Never.

"...be happy you knew me?" Forever.

"...I love you and I'm so happy I-" A bang, a thud, and Frank Hardy's phone clattered to the ground.


	2. Chapter 2

Joe found him. Of course, Joe found him. Sitting on the floor next to his bed in their shared room, knees pulled tight to his chest in a very un-Frank like way. Her words replaying in his head. He heard Joe come in, and call his name. He sounded excited about something.

'Respond.' He told himself. He tried to call out but his mouth was locked tight, rage and sorrow muting his lips. A shadow entered his line of sight, then worn blue jeans and the face of a worried blond.

"Frank...?" He couldn't make himself make eye contact. He looked straight through Joe to his phone. He couldn't move anymore than he could speak.

"_I'm so happy I-" _Joe snapped his fingers and Frank recoiled, wrapping his arms around his head, his forearms pressing over his ears. He tried to block out that thud, that final thud.

"Frank! Look at me!" Joe peeled his arms away and shook him. Something snapped. Frank jumped to his feet.

"I need to- I have to- I can...I can get there-She's- she's..." Frank looked desperately around the room for something, anything that would fix this. He tore open drawers and dug through the contents of his desk. He needed his keys, a plane ticket, shoes, any way to get to her. There was time, there had to be, he needed to call the police, her father, his father, anyone. He could fix this. He just needed something, something...

"Frank?" He couldn't stop, stopping made it real. He didn't see Joe pick up the phone, but he heard it.

"_It's me. I love you..._" Her tiny voice filled Frank's ears. He turned and Joe hit the pause button.

Frank finally looked his little brother in the eye. He looked so worried, how could he tell him? Frank loved her, but she and Joe were just as close as they were and he knew Joe loved her like the sister they'd never had. How could he tell him, how could he tell everyone?

But, he didn't have to, it only took that look. In that split second of eye contact, Joe knew. He shook his head and put the phone down only to rush forward as Frank began to collapse; his tears finally coming, now that they had somewhere to fall. Frank leaned on his brother's shoulder and grasped at his arms as his legs gave out, desperately looking for support. And he found it. Joe didn't sway an inch, he just wrapped his arms around his brother and did his best to keep him from falling apart. Frank sobbed into the younger man's chest, so lost in his own grief that he didn't even feel Joe's tears on his scalp. He didn't feel anything but the pain.


End file.
